Railway-rail joint



(No Model.)

G. F. GAGE.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

Will

2 Z mlnmu l witnesses W 5513 h fiz fa 5% JJM K.

Nita STATES PATENT Erica.

GEORGE F. GAGE, OF HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,761, dated December18, 1888.

Application filed August 13, 1888, Serial No. 282,494. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GAGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Huntingdon, in the county of Hunting-don and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway- Rail Joints; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in thatclass of railroadjoints in which the bolts and nuts are dispensed with,and in which the fish-plates are dividedthat is, the plate on each sideof the rail is separate and independent of that upon the opposite side.

The object of the invention is to provide a strong, cheap, andeffectiverail-joint, to dispense with the necessity of piercing the rails, whichpiercing tends to weaken the rail, and to provide a strong brace for therails at curves.

To the above ends and to such others as the invention may pertain thesame consists in the peculiar combinations and in the novelconstruction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as morefullyhereinafterdescribed, shown in the drawings, and then particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustratingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same in a verticalplane passing through the spikes at one end of the plates. Fig. 3 is alike section through one of the brackets employed at the curves. Fig. 4is a detail partly in section and partlyin side elevation.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the ends of adjoining railway-rails of any well'known orapproved construction. These rails are provided at the edge of the basethereof with notches a, designed to receive the spikes which areemployed to secure them to the cross-ties, as will be apparent from thedescription later on. Arranged one upon each side of these rails are theplates B, formed with a vertical portion, 1), of sufficient height tojust go under the tread of the rails and beveled on their upper edges,so as to snugly embrace the lower face of said tread. This forms a verystrong bearing. The plates are secured to the cross-ties in any suitablemanner, preferably by means of spikes c, which pass through openingsprovided therefor in the flange of the plates and engage the notches inthe edges of the base of the rails. Thus the rails have a bearing at allpoints and are braced against strain in all directions. I

Around curves I employ the brackets D, which are formed with a baseportion, cl, provided with suitable holes to receive thesecuring-spikes, with an inclined portion, d,-which fits the inclinedportion of the plate B, and with a vertical portion, (P, which has abroad bearing against the vertical portion of the plate B and againstthe vertical portion of the rail. These brackets are hollowed outslightly on their under side, as shown at e, to provide room for theheads of the spikes that secure the plates to the cross-ties. Thisserves to protect the spikes, to prevent their being drawn by maliciouspersons, and to prevent their jarring out, for, by the constructionshown, the said spikes cannot be taken out until after the brackets havebeen removed.

The peculiar form of the bracket provides a very strong brace, theinclined portion being intcgral with the base, and the vertical portion,having a large bearing against the vertical portion of the plate, servesto make a very efficient means of preventing displacement of any of theparts.

Vhat I claim is 1. The combination, with the adjacent ends of twoadjoining rails, of the plates arranged one upon each side of said railsopposite the joint therein and the brackets secured to the cross-tiesand formed with a base portion bearing against the edge of said plates,and with an inclined portion havinga flat bearing on the inclinedportionof the plates, and at the upper end formed with an enlargedvertical portion parallel with and bearing against cured lo the 1,105and embracing Said plates,

and formed. with l1 ')llo\\'(:(l-o11t portions 6 on the under lac-o ofsaid brackets over said Spikes, substantially as shown, and for thepurpose specified.

In tesiin'iony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

GEORGE l GAGE.

\Vitnos $1 \VM. P. ORBISON, JAMES A. GREENLEAF.

